The Iconic Artsy Neighborhood In Chicago With Endless Food And Trendy Shops

Voted the best big city in America eight years in a row, Chicago is a great city to explore as it is filled with amazing food, beautiful architecture, great museums, and people famous for their Midwestern niceness. While, like any major city, Chicago has some tourist traps that should be avoided, you can easily explore the real side of the city by walking through some of its up-and-coming artsy neighborhoods like Logan Square and Bucktown. One great way to do this is by signing up for Viator's popular Offbeat Street Art Tour of Chicago where you will take in the vibes of the city's coolest neighborhoods while also stopping by some of the Windy City's best murals, street art, and graffiti.

On this tour, you will start at the Goddess and Grocer, which is an adorable café serving sandwiches, cakes, coffee, and desserts located just off of Milwaukee Avenue (lovingly known as the Hipster Highway for its trendy restaurants, shops, and bars). From there, your tour guide will take you on a walk along the 606, a Chicago landmark that was once an abandoned railroad line and has been transformed into a raised scenic trail and green space. Then, as you exit this community-centered elevated trail, you will make a quick pit stop at Ipsento 606 to grab some snacks, a classic coffee, or even try their signature latte that includes coconut cream, honey, and cayenne pepper. After this quick pick-me-up, you will walk along the side streets of Milwaukee Avenue up to Logan Square (named one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world) learning about all the graffiti and gorgeous urban murals along the way.

This tour is the perfect way to start or end your day exploring the Windy with slots available every hour from 10 am to 3 or 4 pm (excluding the noon time slot). The tour costs $40 a person and takes around two hours to complete. After the tour, you will end up in the center of the Logan Square neighborhood which is the perfect place to continue exploring on your own. If you take the early tour and end at noon, you could grab lunch at the James Beard Award winning Lula Cafe or simply walk around Logan Square stopping at unique gift shops, Logan Square Park, or the Logan Arcade (a cocktail bar with plenty of old arcade games like Ms. Pac-Man and Q-Bert). If you decide to take the tour on a Sunday, make sure to check out the Logan Square Farmers Market which is open from 8:30 am to 3 pm May through October.

If you take the later tour and end up in Logan Square in the evening, make sure to stop by a trendy brewery, like Revolution Brewpub, or even hit up a comedy club, like The Lincoln Lodge which is a neighborhood institution and has hosted famous acts like Kumail Nanjiani, Kristen Schaal, and Hannibal Burress. Choosing the later tour also gives you the morning to explore other neighborhoods of the Windy City, check out the Art Institute, or even watch the sunrise over Lake Michigan at Oak Street Beach which was rated one of the best beaches in America.